Oil-well heater



Feb. 12, 1929.

J. E. HOGLE oIL WELL HEnT-ER Filed Sept. 30, 192'? 0, 6 m v In.

Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,701,884 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. HUG-LE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

OIL-WELL HEATER.

Application filed September 30, 1927.

My invention relates to improvements in oil well heaters, and it is to be seen that the same adapted more particularly to a means for electrically heat-ing oil wells.

The numerous oil well heaters hereto'tore employed have been impractical tor one or more reasons.

Nell heatmsA have been attempted where a grounded electrical heater has been' ein-- ployed, but this has proven unsatisfactory in the electrolytic condition set up with a resultant destructive effect upon the heating element insulation.

As a consequence of this, metallic circuits have been adoptedvwith more merit than the grounded circuit, but however, the proper insulation ot the terminals ot the heating elements have always been a problem to he solved.

rlhe purpose of my improved electrical oil well heater is to remedy this situation by providing such a means for heating oil wells tor electrical current in which a proper insulation ot the various elements is a paramount feature.

An object therefore, is to provide an electrical oil well heater conduit constructed for effectively ejecting the conductor wires through the electrical heating units.

Another object resides in the novel support and tension which I employ in association with the electrical resistance wire of the heating element.

Other very important objects and advantages will become apparent as my invention is better understood from the specification and claims to follow.

In the drawingz Figure 1 is a partial sectional view ot my complete heater showing the barrel enclosing the electrical resistance Wire in longitudin al sectional view.

Fig. Q, is a fragmentary view of the conduit pipe illustrating my improved electrical joint construction, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the upper end ot the wire portion ot the heating unit barrel disclosing the novel means for properly maintaining the electrical resistance wire therein.

For a more detailed explanation of my drawings, I now refer to the same in which like numerals designate like parts ot the same.

The protective casing for my heater comprises a lower barrel l in which the electrical Serial No. 223,073.

heating clement is adapted to be disposed, and it necessary a. plurality of sections 2 oi' the conductor wire conduit pipe line, are attached thereto by a suitable reduction coupling 3.

The ba rel 1 is provided with a plug 4, threaded into the lower end thereof. :i partition 4a is formed wit-hin the barrel a substantial distance above the plugged end ot same. Adjacent the upper interior ot the barerl, a partition 5, is transversely secured anc formed with suitable number oi open ings therethrough. into which is adapted to be threaded an elongated insulating plug member G. f

A disk-shaped plate 7 ot a. suitable insulating material, but preferably et mica ed lor superimposed position upon the partition 5, and is termed with a plurality oi openings therethrough in registrating respect with the opening in the partition 5, and through which the insulating plugs 6 are adapted to project wit-hin the opening ot the partition The lead and return wires 8 and 9 respectively, are adapted to be connected to the electrical elements 10 by suitable means at the top of the insulating plugs 6, trom where the electrical resistance elements depend through the plug and is adapted to be trained. around pulley wheels 11 at the lower end ot the barrel.

The plurality ot pulley wheels may be employed at the bottom et said barrel, the resistance elements returning in each instance through an independent plug 6 to return through still another plug to still another pulley whe l. These pulley wheels are treely rotatable upon a shaft supported upon a U-shaped member 12. The check 13 dependin Yfrom the U-shaped member adapted to project through an opening in the partition bore 4ta.

A suitable construction la is provided at the lower end of the check against which the reduced end portion of a conical pulley coiled spring 15 is adapted to bear. The opposite end of said screw spring is adapted to bear against the under side of the partition 4a.

Threaded into the top open end of the barrel 1, is a reduction coupling 3, into which the conductor conduit pipe 2 is adapted to be threaded. This conduit pipe is constructed in sections, these constructions being secured together by the coupling means disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings. One en'd of each The next downwardly threaded collar 1? is threaded also internally7 and is formed With an annular groove 19 on the interior surface thereof, said collar 17 adapted to be threaded upon the end of a complementary pipe section. rthese complementary section ends are adapted to be brought into abutting relation, and an internally threaded flanged ring 1S adapted to connect these section ends together, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing,

For a substantial distance inwardly froin the respective ends of the sections, are insulating iiiaterial deposits 21, said deposits being adapted to be securely retained in position, due to the inaterial filling in at the groove 19 on the inner side of the collars 16 and 17 respectively.

A pair of preferably copper lined soci-iets extend inwardly Within the deposit 21 freni the endA of one of said sections. Conductor Wires 22 in connection with the metallic lined socket 2O are preferably embedded for a portion of their length in the insulating deposit. Tlie conductor wires 22 of the coinplement-ary sections are adapted to have a portion of their length embedded Within the insulated deposit. Anchor inenibers 28 are einbedded With the deposits, and from which project plug n ieiiiber adapted for insertion Within the copper-lined sockets in the abutting end of a complementary conductor section.

Insulating material 25 composed of abestos7 is adapted to have embedded therein, the conductor Wires 22 throughout the remaining lenOth of the conductor pipe sections. Y

In positioning rnyilieater in an oil Well7 the barrel 1 is placed Within the Well and lowered as additional sections of the electrical conduit pipes are added. After a sufficient number of these sections have been attached so that the top of the uppermost section Will be above the surface of the fluid in the Well, the barrel is then allowed to rest upon the bottoni or the Well. Every electrical eleine-t being securely closed and cearly insulated7 no short circuit will result.

t the electrical resistance element cont act and expand. during peint-nies.) l provide the novel j iueans including the pulley case ed upon the U-sliaped ineiiiber 12. This [Ll-shaped ineniber is spring retracted and intended to normally maintain the resistance Wires l0 iii spaced relation with eacb other. f

i' avi-ng thus described iny laiin as new is in an electrical oil Well heater comprisa barrel, said barrel being closed at its er end, ineens for supporting a heating Anent Within said barrel, a conduit pipe secured to the barrel at its upper end and rtliroug'h which an electrical conductor Wire 'trained said conduit pipe being constructof a plurality of sections7 ineaiis for eleclly connecting' said pipe sections toinvention, What Y fliicli electrical conductor Wire is said conduit l e being constructed ,ineens securing said pipe sections an insulating body located Within ea h se lion, Vthe bory at one end of each section being provir ed JOHN E. HOGLE.

ith inetallic Y lined sockets, a plug ci'iiistructieu the opposite 

